From Gold Medals to Game-Chan­ging Growth

The Olympics are important to Here East for several reasons. Being located in the former Press and Broadcast Centre for the 2012 Games, our campus is a living emblem of East London’s post-Olympic regeneration story – but it goes beyond that.

Our community embodies the Olympic spirit – fuelled by collaboration, pushing boundaries, and global connection – and our vision is a vehicle that carries its legacy forward; delivering long-lasting positive impact for businesses and livelihoods in East London.

With the Olympic Games starting last weekend, Here East was in Paris celebrating the Olympic opening ceremony and showcasing how London’s Olympic legacy is driving game-changing growth a decade on.

We were delighted to see Here East CEO, Gavin Poole, and COO, Mike Magan, invited by London & Partners and Grow London to join the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, Howard Dawber.

This was a great opportunity to visit the Team GB House and connect with like-minded Parisian businesses interested in joining our campus, but most importantly it was a unique moment to promote London’s growth strategy on the global stage.

Drawing a timely parallel between 2024 and 2012, Gavin shared reflections from the trip:

“The Olympics provide a unique moment in time that brings people together in an environment that is focused on unity, encouraging a true spirit of collaboration. These shared experiences foster genuine connections and conversations that ultimately lead to follow-ups which drive forward an Olympic legacy long after the Games are over.

“Twelve years on, there is still a huge sense of pride following London 2012. Not just the medals our athletes won, but also the scale of the project and the positive impact its legacy has since delivered, through the work of many like Here East.”

Building on this, Gavin penned opinion articles in Fortune and Property Week, highlighting what Paris can learn from London to create a lasting Olympic legacy which has generated £3 billion worth of investment, a 40% rise in employment, and 110,000 jobs in the local area since 2012.

Gavin also shared our campus’ regeneration story on BBC Talking Business, highlighting how Here East has transformed former Olympic infrastructure into a dynamic hub for innovation, enterprise, creativity, education, and culture that’s changing the lives of local people in East London.

Sharing his advice on what Paris can learn from London, Gavin said:

“Assign a team, work with businesses, local and national leaders, and ensure that the spirit and drive that the Olympics brings to a region continue to live on after the torch is extinguished. Not with a focus on sport, but on the investment the region will attract.”

With just over a week to go until the 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony, Paris should take a long-term view of the Games, looking to London for lessons on how to create an Olympic legacy and change the lives of local people in Saint-Denis, just like we have here in East London.